Is Justin Trudeau a hypocrite when it comes to pitching ‘positive politics’?

Liberals distribute flyer calling Mulcair 'too angry'

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has vowed to run a campaign based on “positive politics,” free of the negative attacks that have become a political staple.

However, actions by himself and his party would suggest otherwise.

Several images appeared online last week of flyers distributed during the byelection in Toronto Centre that was held on Monday with Liberal candidate Chrystia Freeland winning the seat that was previously held by interim party leader Bob Rae.

Trudeau further riled up NDP supporters on Monday night when, after Freeland took the seat, he invoked the dying words of former NDP leader Jack Layton.

“Make no mistake, the NDP is no longer the hopeful, optimistic party of Jack Layton,” said Trudeau. “It is the negative, divisive party of Thomas Mulcair. It is the Liberal party tonight that proved hope is stronger than fear, that positive politics can and should win out over the negative.”

The words come from the legendary letter Layton wrote shortly before his death in August 2011 that ended, “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”

The reference may have appeared to some as a poor example of “positive politics.”

“That Justin Trudeau would use Jack Layton’s dying words as a political tool says everything that needs to be said about Justin Trudeau’s judgment and character,” Mulcair told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday, after pausing for a moment to weigh his words.

Trudeau defended his use of Layton’s words, saying he was inspired by the late leader.

“I am, as many people are, inspired by Jack Layton’s legacy and the way that he approached politics,” said Trudeau. “I’m very, very proud that across the country, in all four byelections, the Liberal party ran a positive campaign that was focused on bringing people together and not on attacking or smearing our opponents.”

It’s worth noting that Layton himself certainly didn’t claim to be above using attack ads. While serving as NDP leader, the party released numerous ads going after the Conservatives and the Liberals. For example, this radio ad from 2009 says former Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has “thrown his lot in with Stephen Harper, a person average families can’t trust to look out for them.”

Trudeau defended the Liberal party’s campaign during the byelections, such as the Mulcair flyer, saying that pointing out that other people are being negative is not being negative.

“When you’re being positive, when you’re being focused on bringing people together and not playing negative politics and other people are, I don’t think it’s negative to highlight the fact that people are being negative around you when you’re not attacking and not being negative,” said Trudeau, according to CBC News.

During the byelections, the NDP and Conservatives both used negative ads during their campaigns — but they also didn’t publicly declare they wouldn’t. However, like Trudeau, McQuaig defended the tone of the messages her party used, including drawing attention to the fact that Freeland only moved back to Toronto a few months ago.

“That’s a true fact and I do think that’s something that voters in Toronto Centre have a right to know,” McQuaig told The Canadian Press, noting that Freeland calls the riding her “home” in her campaign literature without revealing that “it’s only been her home for four weeks.”

Similarly, NDP national director Nathan Rotman argued there’s nothing wrong with campaign messages that encourage voters to “compare and contrast” candidates or which criticize an opponent’s record or policy stances. Such approaches aren’t the same as personal attacks, he said.

The only major party who’s maintained a positive tone is the Green Party, who currently hold one seat in Parliament. Their “Change the Channel” campaign urges an end to political attack ads in Canada.